What is the Multimetals effect?
Multimetals is an effect achieved through precise plating of a coin with several different precious metals. This technology involves applying selective coatings – not always in successive layers—onto a pre-prepared coin surface. This allows multiple metals to be combined within a single design while maintaining high relief readability.
The process uses:
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Yellow gold
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Rose gold
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Ruthenium
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Platinum
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Palladium
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White rhodium
Combining these metals creates distinct color and texture contrasts, allowing individual design elements to be clearly separated. The technique provides control over accent intensity and enables even very fine details to be highlighted.
Plating can cover the entire coin surface or only selected areas – backgrounds, ornaments, figures, or inner rims. The Multimetals effect can also be combined with other ennobling techniques used in the mint, allowing for the creation of complex, multi-layered compositions.
Multimetals in practice – selected Germania Mint projects
Germania 2019 – 6 precious metals edition
One of the most complex applications of the Multimetals effect is the limited edition Germania 2019 – 6 Precious Metals. The coin was ennobled using six metals: silver, ruthenium, yellow gold, rose gold, palladium, and white rhodium. Mintage is limited to 500 pieces, and numbering is applied directly on the relief.
Obverse
The design demonstrates advanced use of contrasting coatings:
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Gold-plated inner ring
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Ruthenium background
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Rose gold cloak
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Yellow gold dress
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Palladium shield
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White rhodium sword
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Selected elements left in pure silver
Achieving such precise color separation requires careful masking and multi-stage processing. The result is a clear structural hierarchy in which each metal functions as an accent.
Reverse
The reverse background is plated with ruthenium, while all raised relief elements – the two-headed eagle, laurel wreath, and inscriptions – are plated in gold. The composition is surrounded by a silver rim, which requires exceptional precision to achieve alongside the plating of other elements.
The Germania 2019 edition remains one of the most advanced Multimetals executions in modern numismatics.
Germania Beasts – Geminus coins, dual Multimetals composition
Another example of the Multimetals effect is the two-coin set from the Germania Beasts series. The design was created so that two separate images form a cohesive composition when the obverse and reverse are combined.
To highlight this concept, the coins are plated differently:
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Coin A: background plated with ruthenium, figure in gold
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Coin B: background plated in gold, figure in ruthenium
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Selected details on both coins are further enhanced with palladium
Placed together in a custom Infinity capsule, the coins create an infinity motif, meticulously designed by Natalia Danysz. The sets are limited to 500 pieces, with coins marked as A and B, ensuring their uniqueness.
Multimetals have also been applied to other Germania Mint coins, including the ennobled versions of the Artefacts and Valkyries series, which further demonstrates how versatile and enhancing this technique is.
Advantages of the Multimetals technique
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Allows selective application of multiple metals on a single coin
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Creates clear contrasts and improves relief readability
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Compatible with high-relief and ultra high-relief minting
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Can be combined with other ennobling techniques
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Provides a wide range of effects – from subtle accents to complex compositions
Multimetals is an evolution of traditional galvanic plating, adapted to the requirements of modern numismatics. Precise masking, process control, and careful material selection give designers entirely new possibilities for creating detail and accents.
If you are planning a project requiring complex metal contrasts or multi-stage precious metal application, please contact us: info@germaniamint.com.
